The Calling
by LastCorsair
Summary: They say that if you ever meet the person that has the other half of your soul, you'll hear it singing to you. When Blake Belladonna and Weiss Schee hear their souls singing to each other, worlds collide.
1. Chapter 1

Blake marched through the bustling streets of Atlas, shivering from the autumn morning's chill. She was bundled up for the weather, including a hat to cover her cat ears, but there always seemed to be a chill she couldn't quite shake. Or maybe it was just her; she'd been in Atlas when in the heart of winter when she was still part of the White Fang and it hadn't seemed this cold.

Okay, yeah, it was probably her. This whole situation made her uneasy. After the Atlas government had publicly announced that it was opening peace talks with the White Fang and bringing its laws regarding Faunus rights into line with those of the other kingdoms, her father had asked her to come with him to Atlas as part of the Menagerie delegation. "You have a unique perspective, Blake. You were part of the White Fang not that long ago; you know what's on their minds, and how they think." Blake had scowled at him but agreed.

This morning her father didn't need her for anything, and she was tired of sitting around the townhouse provided by the Atlas government, so she was wandering the streets of Atlas, doing some window shopping, gauging the mood of the people around her. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood, and the shops she'd gone into with her ears uncovered had been welcoming. Blake had even gone so far as to step into a high-end lingerie store; the only awkwardness had been when the clerk asked if she had any Faunus features that weren't visible and needed to be accommodated and even that had been handled tactfully.

She blushed at the thought of the lacy underthings nestled in the bag hanging from her left hand. What had possessed her to buy those today? It wasn't as if she had anyone to wear things like that for. The last person she'd wanted to dress herself up for had been Adam, and he hadn't appreciated it when she did. "We don't need to put ourselves on display for each other Blake; we know who and what we are." Asshole.

Adam Taurus wasn't even part of the White Fang anymore, at least not officially. Sienna Khan had put a price on his head after he'd tried to assassinate her for agreeing to send a delegation to speak with the Atlas government. Blake honestly didn't think Sienna Khan was negotiating in good faith and had told her father so. "I think she's playing some sort of game as well, Blake, but we have to give her the benefit of the doubt and at least pretend to believe her. Too many Faunus agree with them, at least a little, not to give them a voice in the proceedings."

Blake's stomach growled at her a bit, and she remembered that she'd forgotten to eat before leaving this morning. She started looking around for somewhere to eat; someplace that didn't look like the sort of place you needed a reservation for, and definitely not fast food.

She stepped through the doors of a small cafe. On a first impression, it looked good. The place was worn, but not dirty, like a comfortable pair of boots that have been well cared for. It was about half-full, so not crowded but not deserted either. A familiar-looking white-haired young woman wearing black slacks and a light blue blouse greeted her. "Good morning, and welcome to Tukson's Cafe. Table for one?"

"Yes, please." The woman led her to a small table up by the window and handed her a menu. "This morning's special is a razor crab omelet that's very good, I recommend it."

"Did your boss tell you to say that.."—Blake's eyes drifted towards the woman's name-tag—"Weiss?"

Weiss's smile became a bit stiff, and she shook her head. "No. The owner asks all the staff to be acquainted with our entire menu, including the special of the day. 'Don't recommend what you haven't tasted' he says."

"Okay. I'll try that, and some chai tea if you have it?"

"We do, but with the omelet, I'd recommend green tea instead. I think it would go better."

Blake agreed, and Weiss went to put in the order, returning briefly with the tea. "It won't be long for your omelet. Anything else?"

"What's that song that's playing? I'd swear I've heard it before."

* * *

Weiss froze. The cat-eared woman's question had come out of nowhere. "What song? We're not playing any music?"

"Then were you humming something? I'd swear I hear music."

"I don't hum, ma'am." She had without knowing it sometimes as a child, but years of vocal training had broken her of the habit, making her very conscious of every noise she made. Although now that the other woman mentioned it, Weiss could hear something. It was grand, orchestral even, but faint, on the edge of hearing. "I do hear something though. Let me see if I can figure out where it's coming from." She wandered off, searching out the origin of the sound, and returned shortly with Blake's omelet and and a croissant. "It's you."

Blake looked up. "Excuse me?"

"I said, it's coming from you. I didn't hear it until you walked in, and it gets stronger the nearer to you that I get."

"But I'm not humming or making any noise!" A possibility tickled on the edge of Blake's mind, but she dismissed it. There was no way _that_ was responsible for this, and she didn't believe in it anyway. Not after what had happened with Adam. "I"m sorry."

"No, the fault is mine. Enjoy your meal."

Blake lingered over her tea and omelet. Weiss had been right; the omelet was delicious and went far better with the green tea than it would with the chai. And the music was definitely not her imagination. Blake paid attention to the song as Weiss came and went in the restaurant, and the music swelled when Weiss drew nearer, gaining more nuance.

Then something fell into place, and Blake suddenly knew where she recognized Weiss from. Weiss was Weiss _Schnee_ , former heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, and currently estranged from her father. Nobody knew what the break was about, only that Weiss had dropped off the Atlas social scene and not been seen for some time.

And that's when the other thing that had been dancing around the edge of Blake's mind fell into place. What she was hearing wasn't music, not like you'd normally think of it. What she was hearing was _soulsong_ , and she was hearing it from _Weiss Schnee_.

Oh hell.


	2. Chapter 2

_Blake opened her eyes to orbs of scintillating pale blue, silvery-white tresses puddled beneath them like quicksilver, the only flaw in the porcelain beauty facing her a scar across one eye, and even that didn't truly detract from the beauty before her; instead it served as the most perfect counterpoint she could have imagined, making the woman lying next to unimaginably beautiful. The song in her soul swelled as her lover smiled and spoke, barely a whisper. "Good morning."_

Blake's eyes snapped open and she muttered a curse under her breath. She hated having dreams like that right before she woke up. A strong dream like that would be on her mind all day, distracting her. Worse she was dreaming about Weiss Schnee, and that was a road she didn't want to go down, ever, for oh so many reasons.

"Blake?" Her mother's voice came from the hallway. "Are you up? Your father would like you to join us for breakfast."

"Just woke up," Blake groaned. "I'll be down in a few." Damn, there went going back to sleep and trying to get that damn dream off her mind. She rose and pulled on a robe, taking a minute to at least half-tame the tangled mess her hair had become in her sleep. _Damn Schnee girl,_ Blake thought. Why did she have to go and fixate on someone who hated Faunus as much as Weiss Schnee did? Blake scowled at herself in the mirror. Best to just forget about it and apply herself to the task of helping her father with the negotiations.

Down at breakfast, Ghira frowned. Blake had never by any definition been a 'morning person', but this particular morning she was taking it to new heights, or depths, depending on your perspective. He glanced at his wife, Kali, who reached a hand out to Blake's. "Blake, honey, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Kali's cat ears twitched. "Sounds like the sort of 'nothing' you could use some motherly advice about."

"It's... silly. I'm being driven nuts by a fairy tale."

"A fairy tale?" Amusement twinkled in Ghira's eyes as he picked up his tea. "Sounds serious."

"Do you... do you believe in soulsong?" As she said it, Blake looked down at the cup in her hands, biting her lip and cringing as if she'd just pronounced her own death, ashamed to be bringing up so childish a thing.

Soulsong was one step short of being a fairytale. If you believed the stories, every soul had a perfect match, one that resonated not precisely the same as yours, but in perfect harmony or counterpoint to it. If you could find the person that matched yours, you had a partner for life, the truest friend one could imagine, or maybe even love of your life. Supposedly, when you got near that person, there was supposed to be this glorious music only the two of you could hear to help you find each other. Blake wasn't sure she would call the music she'd heard with Weiss glorious exactly, but it had been... _wonderful_. She could even hear it now if she concentrated, just at the back of her mind. A smile crept onto her lips as she listened to it, drifting off into thinking about Weiss again.

"Yes." Blake jerked out of her daydream, startled at her father's flat, simple declaration."Y-You do?"

"Absolutely. That's how your mother and I met." Ghira and Kali smiled at each other as he continued. "I was walking in Kuo Kuana one spring day, not really heading anywhere, just enjoying the day, when I heard this enchanting music. I recognized the tune but couldn't place it, so I decided to follow it. And that's when I ran into your mother."

"Literally ran into me. He knocked me over and went on his way with barely a word, that's how enchanted he was by it." Kali mock-glared at Ghira before continuing. "He started to walk off then stopped and turned back in my direction, almost stepping on me. Your father looked down at me with a confused expression on his face and all I could think to say was, 'Aren't you going to help me up?' He did and turned to leave again, only to keep coming back. It took him five minutes to figure out the music was coming from me. I didn't even realize I was hearing it until he hummed some of it for me."

"So... if I heard it from someone...?" Blake raised her eyes without lifting her head, afraid of her parents' reaction.

"Then that person is meant to be part of your life, in one way or another. It doesn't have to be romantic, either, although it was for me and your mother. They could be your perfect partner or just that perfect friend."

"I'm having a hard time imagining the two of us being friends, much less getting along."

"Tell me about them." Ghira settled back on his cushion, pouring himself some more tea. This conversation might take a while.

"She was working as a waitress in a cafe downtown. I know she used to be rich, so I'm wondering why she's working there."

"Sounds like the two of you got to talking a bit."

"N-no, I recognized her."

"A bit famous, is she?"

"Kind of." Blake sighed; it was probably best to get this out in the open. "It was Weiss Schnee."

"Weiss Schnee?" Ghira and Kali exchanged concerned looks. "Are you sure? What's she doing working at a cafe?"

"Pretty sure. I knew her picture from, uh, a mission we were planning while I was still with the White Fang. We were thinking about kidnapping her."

Kali smiled. "Probably best not to mention that right away."

"Which part? 'Oh hey, I used to be in the White Fang' or 'I helped plan your kidnapping once'?"

"Let's go with both." Kali's cat ears twitched in amusement, her earrings twinkling.

Blake looked up at the ceiling, seeking wisdom from above and seeing only crown molding. "So what do I do?"

"Talk to her. If nothing else, you need to discuss this bond you two seem to share. Past that is up to you and her to decide." Ghira nodded agreement with Kali, adding, "I don't know if something the two of you together now for a reason, or if it's just chance that the two of you met, but something like this shouldn't be dismissed lightly."

* * *

The music girl returns." Weiss sounded annoyed as Blake stepped into the cafe. "Table for one?"

"Two, actually. I need to talk to you."

The white-haired girl glanced nervously back toward the kitchen. "Not here, not now. My shift ends at four."

Blake returned at three-thirty, ordered hot tea and a sandwich, and settled in to wait for the heiress. A few minutes after four, Weiss stepped up to her table, snapped, "Let's go," and led Blake to a nearby diner.

"Not the sort of place I'd expect you to choose," Blake muttered as she scanned the menu.

"The food is good, the prices are reasonable, it's within walking distance of both my current residence and the place of employment, and there are multiple exits, not including the window." Weiss folded her hands over the menu on the table in front of her, staring at Blake. "Now, let's get straight to the point, shall we? What. Do. You. Want?"

"To talk. About the...music." Best to ease up to the subject; Blake didn't think bringing up a fairytale first thing was the way to go with Weiss.

"It's annoying. It was there all day, and this morning before you arrived, and then when you came back, it got louder. I could hear you coming down the block. It was strange, though." Weiss tilted her head to look at Blake with a contemplative expression. "I could still hear everything around me, almost as if I wasn't hearing it with my ears."

"You weren't, at least I don't _think_ so." Blake leaned forward, a grin spreading across her lips. She couldn't imagine a better opening. "Have you ever heard of _soulsong_?" she whispered, almost conspiratorially.

Weiss shook her head. "Impossible. That's nonsense, a fairytale."

"Is it? We both know about Aura, the incredible things that can be done with Dust. Why is it so hard to believe that two Auras can resonate perfectly with each other?"

"Granted, but what about the rest of it? The notion that this other person is your 'perfect partner,' your 'one true love,' that nonsense? That's as silly as believing in love at first sight."

The diner's waitress arrived, asking if they were ready to order. "I'll have coffee and the meatloaf special. She wants hot tea and the Mistral-style stir fry, with razor crab if you have it today."

Blake blinked in shock. That was exactly what she'd been planning on ordering. The waitress looked at Blake for confirmation, and she nodded, then leaned forward, staring at Weiss, after the waitress had left. "How did you do that? How did you know what I was going to order?"

"I just... I just did, without thinking about it. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, it's just that things like that are supposed to be part of soulsong, like knowing which way your partner went, that sort of thing. It's not quite reading each other's minds, it's more knowing what they're going to do next. You get what they're going to do, but not why they're going to do it."

"I know how soulsong is supposed to work. I was attending a combat school before... Anyway, one of my instructors was rather obsessed with myths and legends. We spent an entire period once talking about soulsong and the stories associated with it."

"I know you take your coffee black."

"Lucky guess."

"Nope, just 'listening' to it." Blake smiled as the waitress returned with Weiss's coffee and a pot for Blake's tea. "And, look, I was hearing it all day yesterday too. Maybe... maybe we should look into this?"

"Maybe. At least until we can figure out how to turn it off, or mute it. It's distracting; I hate distractions."

"I don't think we can turn it off. I think we're stuck with it."

"That's...annoying."

"Yeah." Time for a change of subject. "So... why is Weiss Schnee working as a waitress in a cafe, instead of living the high life at Schnee Manor?"

Weiss's left eyebrow rose, highlighting the scar over her left eye. "So you recognize me. I will ask you to respect my privacy and not tell anyone where I am."

"Sore subject?"

"Yes." Weiss stared out the window for a few moments before continuing. "My sister still gets calls from reporters asking if she's seen me."

Blake could feel betrayal and loss seeping into the song she heard. "Whatever it was that happened, it hurt you, badly. I can _hear_ it." Weiss's eyes snapped towards Blake, anger overcoming the other emotions in the song, and Blake raised her hands. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I just _heard it_. You can probably tell how I'm feeling if you listen too."

Weiss frowned in concentration. "I hear...curiosity? Betrayal, too. Regret, and remorse. And... something else..." Weiss's eyes flew open wide and she looked at Blake in shock. "That is a surprise. I don't think we know each other quite well enough for _that_ , yet."

"What?" Blake was confused, then her dream from that morning flashed across her mind. "I, uh, I'm not gay. Really, I'm not."

"I am." A delicate pink tinge spread across Weiss's cheeks and she hastily drank from her coffee cup to cover it. "That...that's what made my father cut me off, actually. He found out about my relationship with another girl from combat school, and demanded I end it, get engaged to someone he approved of. Naturally, I refused. So he cut me off, disinherited me, and threw me out of the house."

"That's terrible, that he would do that to his own daughter. Isn't that against the law?"

"He found a loophole that made it legal. Right now I'm living with my sister and saving up to go back to combat school. I want to be a Huntress. That will be the best revenge, to redeem the Schnee name and build a legacy separate from the mockery he's turned my family's business into." Weiss shivered at the memory of that day. Why was she telling this to a someone she'd only met yesterday? She barely knew this girl, hell, she didn't even know... "You know, I've told you all this about myself, and I don't even know your name, but somehow I feel I can trust you, absolutely and completely. Which is ridiculous, by the way."

"It's okay; I have the same feeling I can trust you, too. Probably another part of the soulsong." That was the problem when dealing with fairytales. They weren't exactly a reliable and complete reference. "My name's Blake, Blake Belladonna, my father is Ghira Belladonna—"

"—Chieftain of Menagerie and currently the head of the Menagerie delegation to the talks the Atlas government is holding about Faunus rights, and peace talks with the White Fang."

"You pay attention to the news."

"Long habit. I was _expected_ to be informed about important topics of the day in order to be able to make the appropriate small talk at parties. My father would discuss them with me, and if he didn't like what I had to say, he'd become... angry. I got very good at anticipating his opinions and the ones he expected me to have."

"I..." Blake sighed; Weiss had told her a secret, one that caused her pain. Time to share as well, to trust beyond reason. "I used to be in the White Fang." Weiss pulled back at this, shock and a betrayal on her face. "I left, about six months ago now. They were... they were going to extremes I didn't want to go. Especially my partner, Adam. He, he showed a cruelty I didn't want to share in. Fighting armed people in the course of a mission, that was one thing, but wanton slaughter? Killing people just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time? I couldn't be part of that. I left, went home. And now I'm helping my father, helping him understand what the White Fang has become." It was Blake's turn to stare out the window. "I guess it's my way of atoning for the damage I've done."

"Growing up...my family, our company, we were prime targets for the White Fang. Family, friends, disappeared. Board members executed. Whole cargoes of Dust, stolen. My father came home _furious_ every day. It made for a very difficult childhood." Weiss watched at Blake, her eyes stabbing into Blake's soul like daggers with every word. "Before my father threw me to the wind, refusing to accept me for who I am, I hated the White Fang, hated the Faunus. But recent events have... given me a new perspective on things. What I want is to help people, Faunus, and humans, and I find the idea of making my father _furious_ rather...enticing." She leaned forward, and now Blake could see a feral glint in her eye, feel the anger in Weiss's heart towards her father that Weiss had honed to a razor's edge. "How can I help your father?"

Blake sipped her tea, considering. Weiss's anger towards her father was the sort of thing that could consume her if left unchecked. And something inside Blake made her want to knock down the walls she'd built inside herself if only to let Weiss in, as she had her parents. Guilt, perhaps? Wanting to make amends for the part she'd played in creating that hellish childhood Weiss had just described? The resonance of the soulsong pushing her towards Weiss? Both? Something else she couldn't define? An idea crept into her mind. "I have an idea. Let's go talk to my father."


	3. Chapter 3

" _Let me make sure I have this clear.."_

There was a hint of amusement in Ghira Belladonna's voice that ran counter to his serious tone. "You want me to hire Weiss as a 'consultant' to help us out here in Atlas. Making sure we're not getting ripped off by suppliers, get invited to the right sorts of parties, dress appropriately for those same parties, that sort of thing."

"That's it, yeah." Now that Blake and Weiss were standing in the townhouse's study with Blake's father, explaining it to him, it sounded a lot weaker than it had in the diner.

Ghira's eyes wandered the street outside the townhouse. The wind had picked up sharply, bringing with it a biting chill and the possibility of snow. Some of the protesters outside had already packed it in, and he could see some of those that remained checking their watches and talking to each other. _Probably wondering if they're getting paid enough to be out in this kind of weather,_ Ghira thought. "My job would be to facilitate your mission here in any way I can," Weiss added, sensing Blake's hesitation. "I know people that will be willing to help us, ranging from those that will do it to spite my father to those who simply don't care as long as our money's good."

Ghira grunted. "I see. Much as I don't like to admit it, we have faced problems here." He gestured out the window toward the rapidly thinning crowd of protesters. "For example, we've had protesters on our doorstep, shouting that we're just a front for the White Fang. Protesters, I will add, most likely paid for like men like your father, Miss. Schnee."

"My father can rot in hell for all I care," Weiss spat. "He had no hold on me anymore, he made sure of that." Weiss stepped next to Blake's father, looking out the window, and Blake could _hear_ the quiet, calm defiance in that music only she and Weiss could hear. "I can make a few calls tomorrow. The Faunus Rights Association has been agitating for full formal diplomatic relations between Atlas and Menagerie for years, and I'd be willing to bet they'd love to put on a show of support for you. They're an odd alliance between bored rich kids, college intellectuals, and old-guard civil rights types, but they could prove useful allies." She smirked as the wind plucked one protester's sign right out of hands, and he ran down the street chasing after it.

"I see. Miss Schnee, I'd like to talk to my daughter alone for a moment. Please wait outside." After Weiss had stepped into the hall, Ghira looked at his daughter. Ever since her return from the White Fang, dark clouds had loomed over Blake. The clouds were still there, but now he thought he could see the first rays of sunshine peeking through. "So, who came up with this idea? And how do I know this isn't some trick to plant a spy in among us or to let your new girlfriend sponge off us?"

"She's _not_ my girlfriend!" Blake objected, a blush creeping up her face. "The idea was mine, actually. I was trying to find a way that Weiss could be useful to us, and she asked what sort of problems we're having. The idea just kind of went from there."

Bright, clear laughter came from the hallway, and Kali opened the door, her and Weiss grinning at some shared joke. "Ghira, dear, Blake's friend Weiss has the most delightful idea. She says she knows a clothing designer that would love the opportunity to work with us, as long as we're willing to let her pick our brains about Menagerie fashion. And we do have a few events coming up we need to be properly dressed for."

"I see." Ghira regarded Weiss carefully. "And what exactly would we owe you for this assistance?"

"For this, nothing. If you decide to retain me as a member of your staff, I think you'll find my salary request reasonable. I don't need much, although I will need to find somewhere else to live, and Atlas rent can be high."

"I think we can find room for her here, can't we, Ghira? That would be more efficient, and probably safer for Weiss."

Ghira started to protest, then sighed and decided to bow to the inevitable. "We do have room, and it would be convenient to have you close at hand. Let's call handling this a trial run, then. How soon can we see this designer? And when would the clothes be ready?"

Weiss tilted her head, considering. "I can make a phone call now and call in a favor. I'm friends with her daughter, so she may be willing to rush it for me. Excuse me." Weiss pulled out her scroll and stepped to one side.

Ghira stepped over to Kali. "Kali, dear, this isn't a certain thing, yet. We still don't know if we can trust her," he said in low tones, pulling his wife close.

"Look at her and Blake," Kali replied, jerking her head toward the monochrome pair. Blake and Weiss stood in front of the room's big bay window with maybe a hair's width between them. Blake reached out and wrapped her arm around Weiss, and the former heiress leaned into the ex-terrorist, not missing a beat in her call. "I don't think they even realize how comfortable they are with each other. Remember how you and I felt, like we'd known each other our whole lives at first sight? It looks like it's the same with them."

"You don't think...?"

"Let's let them sort that our for themselves, shall we?"

Weiss finished her call and the pair turned back to Kali and Ghira. "It turns out that my friend Coco is home for a visit and would love to spend time with me. She and her mother will be here in the morning. Now I need to go home and pack my belongings and inform my sister I'm moving out."

"I'll go with you," Blake added.

As Blake was reaching to open the front door, someone started hammering on it from the outside. "Someone let me in, it's freezing out here!"

Blake opened the door and immediately regretted it as wind from outside dropped the temperature in the hallway twenty degrees. A slight figure stepped in, bundled up from head to toe. "Thanks, Blake, I'm sorry to drop by this late, but something came up."

"Ilia? What are you doing here?" Weiss was delighted to see her old schoolmate but puzzled at the circumstances. _And how do you know Blake?_ The question hung unasked in the air.

"I could ask the same of you," Ilia replied, unwrapping her scarf.

"I, uh..." Weiss faltered, but Blake stepped in. "Weiss has just taken a position with the Menagerie delegation. She's helping us out with things. We were just stepping out, but my father's in the study if he's the one you're looking for."

"Yeah, security for Thursday. Somebody's nervous. We'll catch up later, Weiss, okay?" Ilia glanced back nervously at Blake and Weiss before as she headed towards the study.

The black-and-white pair walked uneasily down the sidewalk, the tension between growing with every step. Finally, Blake spoke. "Ilia and I were in the White Fang together. When I left, I tried to convince her to leave with me, but she refused. She...she's still angry with me over that. Now she's part of the White Fang delegation."

"So is she...?"

"A Faunus, yes. Chameleon; she can change the color of her skin."

"I see." They trudged in silence for a while, then it was Weiss's turn. "Ilia and I used to go to school together. She was one of the few people I would really have called a friend. One day she got into a fight and then disappeared. I never heard more than that."

"I know the full story. But you should ask her yourself."

"Is she going to be a problem? With you and me, I mean. You two were obviously close while you were in the White Fang, closer than I was to her in school."

"No, it should be fine. She's been part of the White Fang group here since the beginning. It helps that she can pass for human."

"I just don't want to come between you and the friends you still have left. Blake..." Weiss reached out and laid a hand on Blake's arm, bringing her to a stop. "Someone you cared for _hurt_ you, I can hear it, you know I can. But that doesn't mean you have to be alone your whole life. If nothing else, you still have your parents. And, I know we've only known each other a day, but I'd like to think we can be friends." Weiss reached out and took Blake's hands in hers, and suddenly it was too much for the cat-eared girl. Blake collapsed against Weiss, sobbing. The white-haired girl flinched at the contact and started to pull away at first, but she could hear the anger and rage and pain and betrayal in Blake's heart, and it steeled her resolve. "I'm here, Blake. As long as you need me, I'm here," Weiss murmured, wrapping Blake in her arms and pulling her close.

"I gave him my heart, Weiss. I opened up to him and he _used_ that against me, tried to turn me into a monster like him. And I, I almost did it, I almost did what he wanted, became the monster he wanted to have on a leash," Blake sobbed. "You must think I'm a monster. How can you stand me? How can anyone stand to be around me?"

Weiss frowned, biting her lip. She knew Blake needed comfort right now, but that was one thing she had never been good at. Finally, Weiss just sort of reached down in herself, grabbed all her feelings she had for Blake, the things she _knew_ about her without knowing, without being told, that echoed in her very soul, and _shoved_ them at Blake, trying to make Blake feel them somehow.

Blake froze, her sobbing coming to a choking stop."W-What was that? How did you-?"

"I don't know, I just did it. Did it, did it help?"

"It-it did." Blake let go of Weiss, reaching up to wipe her eyes on the sleeve of her jacket only to find the heiress handing a handkerchief. "Th-thanks."

"Don't mention it." Weiss smiled, trying to encourage her new friend. Blake concentrated for a moment, _listening_ in that weird way to the song that came from Weiss. She realized that no matter what else she heard, there were certain things she always heard from Weiss. _Defiance_ and _determination_ were the defining things she heard, and _loyalty_ too. Weiss would never back down, never flinch from a challenge, and never, ever, betray a trust. She would always do as her heart told her was right.

And there was something else, a rising theme that hadn't been there before, something that had to do with Blake. _Respect_ , that was it. Weiss respected Blake, her decision to leave the White Fang, her refusal to become the monster Adam Taurus had tried to shape her into. And Blake heard an echo of that in her own self. Weiss had refused to become what her father had demanded she become, left behind a life of luxury to make her own destiny. Both of them had been betrayed by someone they trusted, both of them had decided to make their own destinies. Maybe they could make a new destiny, together? She reached down and grabbed her own feelings for Weiss and tried to shove them back at Weiss through their bond, mirroring the heiress's actions.

Weiss pulled back a moment, wonder on her face. "Is that...is that how you truly see me?"

"I-I don't think we _can_ lie to each other that way. Maybe that's why we trust each other so much." _Although we can hide things from each other, I think._ Blake struggled to clear her mind, focusing on calm, clear, water. "Is that better?"

"Much. Blake, we've both been betrayed by people we trusted, and I think that's making us mistrust how much this bond makes us trust each other." Weiss frowned in disgust. That sentence was a horrible abomination upon the English language, but it would have to do. "I think we're going to have to learn to trust each other, to work together, the old-fashioned way. So, friends, for now, and we work out the rest?" Weiss extended her hand for Blake to shake it.

"Friends." Blake shook Weiss's hand, and then, before Blake could stop her, Weiss snatched the hat off Blake's head, dancing away down the sidewalk, leaving Blake's cat ears exposed to the cold. "Catch me if you can!" Weiss crowed as she pranced down the sidewalk towards the transit station.

Blake laughed as she ran after her friend.

* * *

Winter heard laughter as she opened the door to the apartment she was currently sharing with her sister. She scowled. Not that she really objected to her sister having a visitor or two sometimes (Weiss had less of a social life than Winter did, and that took doing), but she wished Weiss would have warned her this time. Being assigned as General Ironwood's aide was exhausting work. Often she had to work longer hours than the general did, and tomorrow she was expected to be by his side keeping radicals on both sides in check during the peace talks.

Sitting in the apartment's kitchen with Weiss was a black-haired Faunus girl with cat ears. "Good evening, sister. I was not expecting visitors. Who is your friend?"

"This is Blake Belladonna. Starting tomorrow I will be working for her father."

Winter froze. "Blake _Belladonna?_ As in the daughter of Ghira Belladonna, Chieftain of Menagerie?" And a former member of the White Fang, but Weiss didn't need to know about _that_. "Weiss, what's going on here?"

"I'll be helping them build connections here in Atlas, as well as doing what I can to facilitate their time here."

She simply couldn't believe it. How could Weiss be so _naive?_ "Weiss, are you sure about this? You barely know these people..."

"I have my reasons, which are exactly that: Mine. I will also be moving out, at least for the time being. Room and board are part of the arrangement as well." Weiss gestured towards her packed luggage. "Honestly, sister, I expected you to be a little more pleased. They're paying better than waitressing at the cafe was, and I can put it straight into saving for my training. Plus I'll be out of your way; I know how busy you are working for General Ironwood."

"Weiss, there are other options than being a Huntress. And if you're still dead set on that, I can have a word with Ironwood. He can get you into Atlas Academy easily."

"So he can add another Schnee to his collection? No, I want Beacon. It's just as good a school as Atlas Academy, and farther away." Weiss's hands were gripping the coffee cup in her hands hard enough Winter feared for the cup's integrity. "I'm not letting _him_ take that away from me." Blake reached out and laid a hand on Weiss's arm, and she relaxed, setting her other hand on top of Blake's.

Puzzled, Winter poured her own cup of coffee and sat down with them. What exactly was going on here? "I can appreciate your determination, Weiss, but involving yourself in this could be dangerous."

"No more dangerous than being a Huntress. And don't worry, I'll look after her." This time Blake spoke and Winter took an appraising look at the black-haired girl. The information Ironwood's office had included Blake's past with the White Fang, although it had been light on the details. Something about the way she sat indicated combat training, that she was used to carrying a weapon.

"You're literally playing with fire, Weiss. Some of the people involved here are very dangerous."

"They're not the only ones." There was a dangerous look in Weiss's eyes as she spoke, then she blinked and it was gone. "Winter, if I want to make my own way in the world it has to be _my_ choice, _my_ destiny. I choose this. I choose the dangerous path."

"I see." Winter could tell the traditional Schnee stubbornness was in full force here. No helping it now. "Alright, let me help you pack, then."

"Already done." Weiss gestured toward the living room, where Winter could see Weiss's two bags sitting next to the couch. "I don't have much, after all."

"Hey," Blake reached out and laid a hand on Weiss's shoulder this time. "The most important things you don't have to pack. Believe me, I know."

After the two of them had left, Winter sat alone in the kitchen for a while, thinking. Her sister had been lost since being disowned by their father, but tonight Weiss seemed... _whole,_ certain of herself again. Which was a good thing, she supposed, but did it have to happen like this? And what exactly was going on with Weiss and the Belladonna girl? She'd be willing to bet the two of them had just met but watching them interact, it had been as if they'd known each other their whole lives. Strange. More questions than answers and Winter hated that.

Sighing, Winter reached for her scroll. This was the sort of thing she needed to let Ironwood know about immediately.

* * *

A knock came at her bedroom door as Blake was brushing her hair before bed. "Come on in, Weiss," she replied without thinking about it."

"How did you know it was me?" Like Blake, Weiss was dressed for bed, wearing a long blue nightgown and with her hair down. Blake laughed and tapped the side of her head. "Of course," Weiss said. "Listen, I just wanted to say thanks for taking a chance on me. I...I need this."

"Don't worry about it. You're taking just as big a chance on us." Unbidden, fragments of that morning's dreams flickered across Blake's mind. She pushed them aside. Weiss was a friend, that was all. "Goodnight, tomorrow comes early."

"Blake...what does it sound like to you? The music, I mean."

"It..." Blake struggled to find the right words. She hadn't really thought about the music before. "It sounds kind of like jazz, bright and lively. It makes me feel _good,_ somehow, content and happy."

"The same. It rises and falls, changing tone with our emotions." Weiss raised a hand, as if to touch Blake, then let the hand fall back down. "Dammit. I don't like touching people, don't like being touched, and now I find myself reaching out for you all the time. It's-"

"Annoying," the pair finished together, laughing. "Yeah, me too," Blake continued. "I started to say something to you while I was getting changed for bed, but you weren't here."

"Hmm. Another nuisance factor. It's like you're always with me, even when you're not. Something to get used to."

Blake felt her breath catch in her throat. "Not in a bad way I hope."

"Not exactly." Weiss drew a deep breath and looked Blake in the eye, pale blue meeting amber. "It's just that I'm used to being alone, and having a constant presence, even a non-physical one, is a change. But a good one, I think. Goodnight, Blake."


End file.
